My best Pulled Pork
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
Cook Time
12 hrs
-
Brining
1 d
-
Servings
15 - 20 people
-
Calories
499 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
American
My best Pulled Pork
Description
This pulled pork recipe starts with a skinless, bone-in pork butt rubbed thoroughly with a spice blend of brown sugar, paprika, garlic and onion powders, mustard powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. The pork is dry-brined uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours to penetrate seasoning deeply and retain moisture.
Cooking happens at a low oven temperature (110°C/230°F) for approximately 12 hours, with beer and water added to the roasting pan to maintain moisture. The pork is roasted uncovered until it reaches a temperature around 95°C/203°F and pulls apart effortlessly. A barbecue sauce made with apple cider vinegar, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and seasonings accompanies the pork.
The dish serves well warm as a main course with classic barbecue sides or sandwiches. Planning ahead for dry brining and slow cooking yields tender, juicy pulled pork that reheats well and stores for several days or months frozen. Substitution notes cover rub spices, salt types, and liquid ingredients. For serving, shredding close to serving time is recommended for best texture.
The recipe advises ensuring ovens with automatic shutoff are managed properly during the long cook, and suggests ways to calculate serving sizes depending on pork weight. Refrigerated leftovers reheat effectively when covered to retain moisture.
Ingredients
- 4 - 5 kg / 8 - 10 lb pork butt skinless, bone in, fat cap on, Note 1, or Boston butt or square cut pork shoulder
- 1 1/2 cups beer , any except dark beers like Guinness (Note 2)
- 1 cup water
RUB (Note 3):
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp paprika powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (can omit)
- 2 tbsp kosher salt Note 4, cooking
- 2 tsp black pepper
BARBECUE SAUCE:
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 5)
- 3 cups ketchup (or Aussie tomato sauce)
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp molasses (original, not backstrap, Note 6)
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Tabasco sauce optional spiciness
- 4 tsp mustard powder
- 3 tsp garlic powder (sub onion powder)
- 2 tsp kosher salt Note 4, cooking salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Dry brine overnight (Note 7) – Pat the pork dry and place in a large ceramic dish. Mix Brine ingredients in a small bowl and rub it all over the pork, being sure to get into the cracks and crevices. Turn it fat side up (smoother side) covered with as much rub as possible. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 110°C (both fan-forced and standard) / 230°F.
- Prepare for roasting - Transfer pork to a roasting pan (do not wipe the rub off) with the fat side up. Discard any liquid and residual rub left in the brining dish. Pour beer and water around the pork, topping up with extra water as needed so the liquid level is 2.5 cm / 1" (insurance against pan going dry).
- Slow roast 12 hours (Note 8) - Roast, uncovered, for 12 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 95°C/203°F and the meat falls apart effortlessly using two forks. ⚠️ Make sure your oven does not automatically turn off mid cook, many have auto-off functions that kick in at 12 hours (also factor in oven pre-heating time)!
- Shred – Transfer the pork to a large pan (reserve juices in roasting pan). Rest for 20 minutes then shred with tongs / forks - it will be effortless! You can discard the fat cap at this stage if you want. I leave some, it makes the shredded pork even juicier.
- Sauce it - Pour 3/4 cup of the juices from the roasting pan and 1 cup of Barbecue Sauce (see below) over the pork, and toss.
- Serve Pulled Pork with remaining Barbecue Sauce on the side so people can help themselves. Either make a big Southern feast with a side of cornbread, coleslaw and potato salad or macaroni salad. Or make Pulled Pork buns with soft rolls stuffed with coleslaw, Pulled Pork and the BBQ sauce!
Barbecue sauce:
- Place ingredients in a large saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Simmer 45 minutes: Bring to simmer on medium heat, then reduce to a low simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add pork juices: When the pork is cooked, add 1/2 cup of the juices from the roasting pan into the BBQ sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Use water to control thickness – it should have a thick syrupy consistency. Serve warm or at room temperature (not fridge cold).
Notes
- Use pork butt, Boston butt, or square cut shoulder with fat cap; avoid skin-on for this recipe.
- Dry brining overnight enhances juiciness and seasoning depth, but can be omitted if necessary.
- Beer can be substituted with apple cider or apple juice; avoid dark beers like stout or Guinness.
- Cooking salt (kosher) works best due to grain size; if unavailable, use 2/3 quantity of table salt.
- Barbecue sauce uses original molasses, not blackstrap; substitute with white or red wine vinegar if needed.
- Slow roasting at low temperature overnight is effective; monitor oven settings to avoid auto-shutdown.
- For meal planning, multiply pork weight by 3 for normal servings or 2.4 for generous servings.
- Cooked pork and sauce keep well refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for 3 months; reheats nicely.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 15- 20 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 499 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 499cal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 34g | 11% |
| Protein | 51g | 102% |
| Fat | 16g | 25% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 160mg | 53% |
| Sodium | 1895mg | 79% |
| Potassium | 1213mg | 26% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 28g | 56% |
| Vitamin A | 775IU | 16% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 87mg | 9% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
